Deflection and displacement minimizing double-shell rolls



Aug. 22, v1967 A. v ALEXEFF DEFLECTION AND DISPLACEMENT MINIMIZING'DOUBLE-SHELL ROLLS Filed Sept. 20, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ALEXANDER V. ALEXEFF Aug. 22, 1967 A. v. ALEXEFF 3,336,643 DEFLECTION AND DISPLACEMENT MINIMIZING DOUBLE-SHELL ROLLS Filed Sept. 20, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALEXANDER v. ALEXEFF ATTORNEYS ram @127 i Aug. 22, 1967 A. v. ALEXEFF 3,336,643 DEFLECTION AND DISPLACEMENT MINIMIZING DOUBLE-SHELL ROLLS Filed Sept. 20, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 6

INVENTOR. ALEXANDER V. ALEXEFF WM 3 y mJo- ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofllice 3,336,648 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 3,336 648 DEFLECTION AND DISPLACEMENT MINIMIZING DOUBLE-SHELL ROLLS Alexander V. Alexeft, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Industrial Ovens, Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 488,596 4 Claims. (Cl. 29113) This invention relates to rolls which are used in treating or making web or sheet material such as calender rolls, printing rolls, and the like. The invention has applicability to heat exchanging rolls of the type which circulate cooling or heating fluid for treating metal sheet and slabs and sheet glass and the like, but is not in all its aspects restricted to heat exchanging rolls.

The invention pertains more particularly to rolls of a deflection minimizing type comprising an outer tubular member supported at its center by an expansion linkage and at points intermediate its center and ends by inner deflecting structure or by inner deflecting structure and expansion linkage means.

The'rolls of the general type to which the invention relates involve the concept of minimizing the longitudinal deflection under load of the outer surface of the roll by the manner of support of the inner roll structure. Spaced zones of support are provided so that the total longitudinal deflection of the outer member across the longitudinal extent of an applied load, such as a cooperating pressure roll or tensioned web or plastic stock, will be only a very small fraction of the longitudinal deflection of the inner structure across the same longitudinal extent. The inner roll structure will experience relatively gross displacement in a transverse direction as the load is applied, but the outer roll structure experiences minimum displacement and longitudinal deflection'since at least one of the spaced zones of support comprises an expansion linkage which displaces each increment of the outer roll structure relative to the inner roll structure as each increment approaches the load line of the roll and then permits each increment of the outer roll structure to return to its normal position relative to the inner roll structure as that increment moves away from the load line of the roll. The displacement of each increment of the outer roll structure may be proportional to the load imposed on the roll so that the outer roll structure maintains a substantially fixed load bearing relationship to the applied load.

An object of the present invention is to provide a deflection minimizing roll which maintains minimal surface deflection and displacement under an applied load. The invention contemplates the provision of spaced zones of support between a rotating inner roll structure and a rotating outer roll structure, at least one of the spaced zones of support comprising an expansion linkage which progressively and uniformly expands from an initial zone of roll loading to the load line of the roll and then uniformly contracts from the load line to a zone where the roll is no longer loaded so that the load applied to each increment of the supported outer roll structure is resisted by a proportional load applied by the expansion linkage to minimize gross displacement of the outer roll structure. The invention contemplates the provision of at least one circumferential array of fluid actuated pistons in the inner roll structure which are radially directed against the outer roll structure and which are progressively actuated according to the angular position of the roll as it proceeds in its turning or rotating motion.

The features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following description of a specific example therefor.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a roll embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an arcuate cross-sectional view, the section being indicated by the arc 6-6 in FIG. 5 with the section being shown as a flat development in FIG. 6 and showing additional cooperating elements; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 77 in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a roll comprising an inner roll structure or cylindrical beam 10 and an outer roll structure or tubular, cylindrical beam 11 which together form a double wall roll structure with a hollow zone 12 between the rolls.

Provided between the inner and outer cylindrical beams 10 and 11 are a pair of spacer means generally indicated by the reference numerals 13 and 14. The spacer means 13 and 14 are each in load bearing relationship with and between the inner and outer cylindrical beams 10 and 11. The spacer means 13 and 14 are each located intermediate the longitudinal center of the roll and an end of the cylindrical beam 11. Each of the spacer means 13 and 14 comprises spacer members or rings 15. The rings 15 bear against the inner surface of the beam 11 and the outer surface of the beam 10. Shrink fitting may be employed to assemble the rings 15, the inner roll 10, and the outer shell 11 together. Considering the cross sections of the rings 15 as seen in FIG. 2, such cross sections extend as beams radially outwardly from their radially inner ends. At their inner ends, these cross sections are restrained by the shrink fitting operation employed to assemble the rings 15 to the inner roll 10.

A medial circumferential zone of the outer roll structure 11 is supported by a plurality of expansion linkage means 16. Each expansion linkage means 16 comprises a bearing pad element 17 having a bearing face 18 which faces radially inwardly and which remains substantially parallel to the axis of the outer tubular beam 11 both in no-load and in loaded condition of the roll structure. Each linkage 16 also includes a piston 19 which is mounted in a cylinder 20 radially drilled in the inner roll structure 10. Each cylinder 20 is provided with a fluid inlet and outlet passage 21 which is in fluid communication with a fluid distributor block 22. The block 22 is mounted within an axial bore 23 which is drilled through the inner roll structure 10. The distributor block 22 is provided with a plurality of passageways 24, each of which communicates with its own one of the passages 21.

Each of the plurality of passageways 24 is connected to its own one of a corresponding plurality of fluid pressure tubes 25. The pressure tubes 25 are mounted within the bore 23 between the distributing block 22 and one end portion 26 of the inner roll structure 10. As may be seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, one end of each tube 25 is provided with an elbow fitting 27. Each elbow fitting 27 is connected to one of a plurality of radial passageways 28 which are provided in the end portion 26 of the inner roll structure 10. Each passage 28 communicates with one of a corresponding plurality of passageways 29-38 which are drilled inwardly from an end face 39 of the end portion 26.

Each end of the passageways 29-38 is counterbored to provide a plurality of cylinders 40-49. A plurality of displacement pistons 50-59 are provided in the cylinders 40-49 and each piston 50-59 is provided with an actuating piston rod 60. Each piston rod 60 has a roller bearing element 61 at its free end which rides along a circular cam track 62 which is provided in a stationary end cap 63.

As may be seen most clearly in FIG. 5, the end cap 63 includes an annular flange 64 which surrounds the end face 39 of the end portion 26. Bearings (not shown) may be provided between the end portion 26 and the flange 64. The end cap 63 further includes a flat face 65 having the recessed annular cam track 62 therein. The cam track 62 comprises a flat arcuate portion 67 and a raised portion 68 which includes first and second slopes 69 and 70, respectively.

As the roll rotates, each roller bearing element 61 traverses the arcuate extent of the flat portion 67 of the cam track 62. During this traversal, there is zero displacement of fluid from each cylinder 4049 to the associated cylinders 20 and there is, therefore, zero displacement of the pistons 19 and the bearing pads 18 during this arcuate travel. As each roller bearing element 61 traverses the first portion 69 of the portion 68, there is displacement of the fluid in the cylinder 4049 by the piston 50-59 until the zone of intersection between the portions 69 and 70 is reached. The fluid is thereby displaced from each cylinder 40-49 into its associated cylinder 20 to thereby displace each piston 19 and its associated bearing pad element 17. The cylinders 40-49, the pistons 50-59, the contour of the portions 68, the cylinders 20, and the pistons 19 are dimensioned so that each expansion linkage means displaces the outer, tubular, cylindrical beam 11 relative to the inner cylindrical beam in an amount which is sufficient to establish zero gross displacement of the beam 11 as it tends to be displaced by external force. The normal gross displacement of the outer tubular beam is, therefore, transferred to the inner roll 10.

As each bearing element traverses the portion 70 of the track 62, fluid is displaced from each cylinder 20 back to its associated cylinder 4049 to permit contraction of each expansion linkage means 16.

It may be seen therefore that the zone of maximum displacement of each expansion linkage means 16 may be preselected by initially positioning the end cap 63 so that the zone of intersection between the cam track portions 69 and 70 is radially aligned with the load line of the roll structure. The slope of the portions 69 and 70, moreover, establishes the rate of change of displacement that is transmitted to each expansion linkage means 16.

When heating or cooling fluid is to be circulated through the rolls, drilled passages 80 are provided as shown in FIG. 1, such passages 80 extending up through the inner cylindrical beam 10 f rom the bore 23 at either end of the roll structure. The heating or cooling fluid may be introduced into the bore 23 through an end tube 81 which is inserted into the bore 23 through a central opening 82 in the end cap 40. A bearing seal (not shown) may be provided between the end tube 81 and the bore 23. The heating or cooling fluid passes through apertures 83 in the spacer means and passes around the array of cylinders 19 and bearing pad elements 17. The distributor block 22 within the bore 23 prevent by-passing of the fluid.

The space 12 between the inner roll structure 10 and the outer roll structure 11 is sealed at its ends by flexible, annular sealing elements 84.

The invention is not restricted to the slavish imitation of each and every one of the details described above, which have been set forth merely by way of example with the intent of most clearly setting forth the teaching of the invention. Obviously, devices may be provided which change, eliminate, or add certain specific structural details without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A roll comprising an inner cylindrical beam and a substantially concentric outer tubular cylindrical beam forming a double-wall roll with a hollow zone between the walls, means securing said inner and outer cylindrical beams together so that the double-wall roll rotates as a unit, expansion linkage means between said inner and outer cylindrical beams, and means to expand said linkage progressively between portions of said inner and outer cylindrical beams as those portions approach a predetermined roll load line and to contract said linkage progressively as those portions depart from said predetermined load line.

2. A roll comprising an inner cylindrical beam and a substantially concentric outer tubular cylindrical beam forming a double-wall roll with a hollow zone between the walls, means securing said inner and outer cylindrical beams together so that the double-wall roll rotates as a unit, a radial array of expansion linkage means between said inner and outer cylindrical beams, and means to expand each linkage progressively between portions of said inner and outer cylindrical beams as each linkage approaches a predetermined roll load line and to contract each linkage progressively as those portions depart from said predetermined load line.

3. A roll comprising an inner cylindrical beam and a substantially concentric outer tubular cylindrical beam forming a double-wall roll with a hollow zone between the walls, means securing said inner and outer cylindrical beams together so that the double-wall roll rotates as a unit, a radial array of expansion linkage means between said inner and outer cylindrical beams, each linkage means comprising a piston mounted for radial expansion and contraction within a cylinder in said inner cylindrical beam, and means to expand each linkage progressively between portions of said inner and outer cylindrical beams as those portions approach a predetermined roll load line and to contract each linkage progressively as those portions depart from said predetermined load line.

4. A roll comprising an inner cylindrical beam and an outer tubular cylindrical beam forming a double-wall roll with a hollow zone between the walls, means securing said inner and outer cylindrical beams together so that the double-wall roll rotates as a unit, a radial array of expansion linkage means between said inner and outer cylindrical beams, each linkage means comprising first piston means mounted for radial expansion and contraction within a cylinder in said inner cylindrical beam, and means to expand each linkage between portions of said inner and outer cylindrical beams as those portions approach a predetermined roll load line and to contract each linkage as those portions depart from said predetermined load line, said linkage expansion and contraction means including means defining a cam track, second piston means movable by said means defining a cam track, said first piston means being moved in response to movement of said second piston means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,563,130 11/1925 Weston 29-113 2,395,915 3/1946 Specht 150-155 2,908,964 10/ 1959 Appenzeller 29-110 2,950,507 8/ 1960 Keyser. 2,970,339 2/1961 Hausman 18-2 3,046,637 7/ 1962 Kusters et al. 29-113 3,070,872 1/ 1963 Ulrichs et a1. 29-113 3,086,279 4/ 1963 Alexeff 29-123 3,106,153 10/1963 Westbrook -155 3,111,081 11/1963 Westbrook 100-155 X FOREIGN PATENTS 712,794 7/1965 Canada. 893,426 4/1962 Great Britain.

BILLY J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ROLL COMPRISING AN INNER CYLINDRICAL BEAM AND A SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC OUTER TUBULAR CYLINDRICAL BEAM FORMING A DOUBLE-WALL ROLL WITH A HOLLOW ZONE BETWEEN THE WALLS, MEANS SECURING SAID INNER AND OUTER CYLINDRICAL BEAMS TOGETHER SO THAT THE DOUBLE-WALL ROLL ROTATES AS A UNIT, EXPANSION LINKAGE MEANS BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER CYLINDRICAL BEAMS, AND MEANS TO EXPAND SAID LINK- 